Honda, Doral lead off Florida Swing

November 12, 2008|By Randall Mell Staff Writer

South Florida's longtime PGA Tour stops will line up as the 1-2 punch leading off the Florida Swing next season.

The PGA Tour released its 2009 schedule Tuesday with the Honda Classic scheduled to start the Florida Swing March 5-8 at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens. The CA Championship, the elite World Golf Championship event, will follow March 12-15 at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami. That's a change from the last two seasons, when Doral anchored the Florida swing as the last event in March.

The Honda Classic now finds itself sandwiched between two World Golf Championship events. The Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona will be played the week before Honda.

Honda Classic Executive Director Ken Kennerly believes being between the elite events will lure more stars to Honda, especially among highly ranked international players.

The new PGA Tour schedule was released for the entire regular season and through three of the first four FedEx Cup playoff events. The Tour Championship dates are TBA (Sept. 14 or 21), with a potential week off being considered before the playoff finale. Despite the economic climate, the 41-event FedEx Cup schedule is fully sponsored. The Valero Texas Open was moved from the Fall Series to May to replace Atlanta's AT&T Classic, the only event dropped.

Compton moves on

Miami's Erik Compton bids to move one step closer to his improbable dream today in a PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament second-stage event at Southern Hills Plantation in Brooksville. Compton, 29, six months removed from the second heart transplant of his life, will be among 78 players looking to advance to the final stage of "Q-School."